O’Toole Bedded Liz Right Under Dick’s Nose

LAWRENCE of Arabia” star Peter O’Toole took a siz­zling secret to his grave – he bedded Elizabeth Taylor behind the back of his best pal and drinking buddy Richard "Dick" Burton!

Sources say O’Toole – who died at age 81in Dec. 2013 after years of failing health – never revealed the shocking sex tryst after Liz begged him to keep quiet for fear of hurting Burton.

“Peter was an incorrigible wom­anizer, and Liz was the woman of his dreams,” a source told The ENQUIRER. “He secretly lusted after her, and he was jealous that Burton won her heart.”

As young men, O’Toole and Bur­ton struggled together to make it as actors, living near each other in London and boozing in local pubs.

Eventually, they both hit it big, and Burton was on his first stormy marriage to Taylor when all three filmed “Under Milk Wood” in 1972 in southern Wales.

“There was a lot of drinking going on at the time,” said another source. “One night, things got out of con­trol between Peter and Elizabeth, and they ended up having sex. That was the only time, but it fulfilled a lifelong dream for Peter.

“Elizabeth always tried to keep Peter and Richard apart after that. She was afraid that Peter would get drunk, and slip and tell Richard what happened.”

BUT satisfying his secret lust sent Irish-born O’Toole into a downward spiral, sources said.

“After that night, Peter’s drinking became much worse,” revealed the second source. “It’s likely he was trying to drown his shame at be­traying his good friend, Richard.”

O’Toole’s heavy boozing eventu­ally wrecked his health, and in 1976 doctors removed his pancreas and much of his stomach – forcing him to give up the bottle.

In 1979, he divorced his only wife, Welsh actress Sian Phillips, the mother of two of his three children.

Burton died of a brain hemorrhage at age 58 in 1984, and Taylor, who passed away in March 2011 at age 79 of congestive heart failure.

“There was always a friendly compe­tition between Peter and Richard,” said the source. “When it came to Liz, the competition was fierce, but well-hidden. And after Peter achieved his secret dream of seducing Liz, he was overwhelmed with shame and guilt.

“Even after Richard died, both he and Elizabeth kept quiet about that night in Wales because they didn’t want to sully Richard’s memory.